Diaz and Penn were awarded “Fight of the Night” for their
three-round main event, while Palaszewski earned “Knockout of the
Night” for his brutal stoppage of Tyson
Griffin. Cerrone (Pictured, file photo) pocketed “Submission of
the Night” after cruising to a first-round victory over Dennis
Siver.

Diaz and Penn waged war for 15 minutes, with both men absorbing
significant punishment along the way. The Hawaiian landed several
solid punches and took Diaz’s back in the first round, but the
Cesar
Gracie protégé was not discouraged. Round two belonged solely
to Diaz, as the lanky welterweight punished the former two-time
world champion with a continual barrage of punches.

Treading forward valiantly in the third, Penn managed to land
several solid punches. However, the final frame also belonged to
Diaz, as his volume punching proved too much for his foe to handle.
The Stockton, Calif., product took home a unanimous decision,
earning scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27.

Palaszewski found a home for his jab early in the contest, though
Griffin held his own until he was clipped by a pair of short left
hooks that sent him reeling. The WEC veteran capitalized instantly,
following his wounded prey to the cage wall and unloading with a
flurry that caused Griffin to completely cover up. Hesitating for
just a moment to allow the Xtreme Couture lightweight to lower his
guard, “Bartimus” finished the job with one murderous right hook,
turning out Griffin’s lights just 2:45 into the contest.

Cerrone continued his hot streak by dispatching his German foe with
relative ease, catching Siver with a high kick early in the first
frame and following him to the mat with ground and pound. Siver
survived that initial scare and returned to his feet, but Cerrone
was waiting with more offense, dropping Siver once again and taking
his back en route to a first-round finish by rear-naked choke.